Why You’re Bad With Tech — and How to Get Better
It’s not too late for you.
Tech’s complicated. If you didn’t study or grow up with technology, it can be really hard to understand. Even supposedly basic computer skills can seem baffling.
You call your friend/child to ask them how to do something on your computer, and their explanation leaves you with more questions than answers.
“How am I supposed to know all this?”
If you find yourself facing this scenario, you’re not alone.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by technology. It’s normal to not know the right question to type on the internet to figure out your problem. It’s hard to know where to start if you wanted to learn.
What if you’re stuck in the cycle of falling behind?
Maybe you didn’t have computer classes in school. Maybe you simply weren’t interested in tech when you were younger. Either way, you didn’t pick it up. Then, tech is suddenly everywhere.
It’s not easy to learn about technology starting from scratch. Technical jargon can be enough to put someone off learning it, which then makes it harder to pick up later as new things come out, and the cycle repeats as the knowledge gap widens…
The wider that gap is, the bigger the very valid fear of seeming dumb, which can make asking questions even harder.
Even if you manage to learn some tech skills, you may find that within a few years, there’s a whole new world of things to be learned. You finally learn how to hold your own with a computer, only to find that there are a bunch of newly released features to learn about. New applications keep coming out, based on new technologies, each with its own world of instructions. Zoom, the Metaverse, smart appliances… It never ends.
Learn how to ask the (right) basic questions
Even searching for seemingly basic concepts can lead to a rabbit hole of technological terms, which might leave you thinking, “Do I seriously need to know all of this just to use my computer and phone?”
The most effective way to learn about technology is to change how you ask questions. With each problem you face, instead of asking for the solution, ask for an explanation of how it works. Instead of, “How do I find the file I just downloaded?” you can ask, “How are files organized on a computer?”
You may not know the exact question to ask each time, and that’s okay; you’ll get better at it with time!
If someone is helping you with technology, ask them to give an explanation of the underlying concepts, not just the immediate answer.
Tech is scary from the outside, but as you start demystifying it with a little help from your friends, family, and Google, you’ll be better off as you get to enjoy the benefits this wonderful tech was designed for.
What’s the point? Why care about tech at all?
Because it’s everywhere, and if you don’t make an effort now, it’s only going to get harder for you.
The world seems to keep demanding the use of more tech. It’s getting harder to ignore it, while also getting harder to pick it up. You learn about computer hardware, file systems, operating systems, and the internet browser, only to find that there are now AI-powered assistants and smart home devices which everyone is using.
It’s not just a matter of keeping up, either. All kinds of jobs are now becoming more and more reliant on tech, so you may find yourself facing harsh competition if you don’t keep up.
The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways. — Robert Greene, Mastery
It’s not just jobs you’re missing out on. The latest tech is pretty damn cool and can simplify lots of aspects of your life. For example, take a look at the newly-released ChatGPT. It is an advanced piece of computer code, which takes in your questions/prompts and generates answers. If you’re writing all your emails manually, while somebody else is telling this bot to generate all their drafts and then making slight tweaks to them, who do you think will get a job done quicker?
You could also be missing out on big opportunities to enhance the things you love through technology. Passionate about fishing? You can use social media to join communities who share the best spots. You can use sensors and advanced equipment to get data and insights on your trips. You can even create your own resources to share with the world, be it an e-book on what you learnt about fishing, blogs about your thoughts as you fish, or simply sharing your catches on social media for others to see.
It’s too late to start now, isn’t it?
It’s not. At all.
You don’t have to be a mechanical engineer to drive a car. You can drive one without understanding the Otto cycle and how a motor’s energy transmits power to the wheels. This is because we have managed to teach people about the usage of cars, separating it to a large extent from the car’s inner workings. Can we not apply the same approach to technology? If we do, everyone can benefit from it without having the basics of a computer science degree.
Imagine all the cool stories you could share with the younger generations, or the communities that would flourish online, or simply the quality of life you would live as you let tech do more of the boring stuff so that you can focus on your passion.
How to stop being bad with tech
If you’re not tech-savvy, try to adopt a learner’s mindset when asking people for help with tech. Aim to understand the concept rather than the task you’re trying to do. If you know people who live a life you aspire to have, examine how they use technology, be it through their social media, how they use it to get work done, or what their daily lives look like, depending on how close you are with them. For example, if you have kids who are tech-savvy, you can ask them how their daily tasks have been simplified by tech, then see those things in action and try to copy them.
Understanding just enough about tech to benefit from it does come with risks, however. The main risk is vulnerability. The internet has connected us all, but it means people who are more proficient with tech have the upper hand over those starting out with it, and some can abuse this power to scam or mislead others.
While the internet is a place full of opportunities waiting to be found and grabbed, treat things with caution. Double-check the legitimacy of website links you find and look more into people to verify they are who they claim to be. If in doubt, ask a friend/relative!
Let’s help each other out, one experience at a time
Technology can be intimidating and difficult to learn, especially if you didn’t grow up with it. This can lead to a widening knowledge gap and missed opportunities. To bridge this gap, the best way is to try to understand the underlying concepts rather than just the immediate task.
If you’re not tech-savvy, what’s one way you can make use of tech in a way you haven’t been already? Can you figure out how to make it happen, or ask somebody to help?
